NBA postseason awards ballot

The official ballot for the postseason awards landed Friday in Express-News NBA beat writer Mike Monroe’s InBox, the most empowering moment of every season for those who cover the league.

There are but 122 official voters this season, and the league has asked Ernst and Young to count the votes. Perhaps the NBA anticipates LeBron James and Kevin Durant being in one of the closest races ever for Most Valuable Player and hopes the accounting firm adds gravitas to the process.

It is a secret ballot, but what’s to hide?

Here’s how Monroe plans to fill out his ballot for the non-MVP individual awards. Voters are asked to rank their votes one through three. MVP and All-NBA teams will be addressed on next Sunday’s NBA Beat page:

Coach of the year
1. Gregg Popovich, Spurs
2. Frank Vogel, Pacers
3. Tom Thibodeau, Bulls
Behind the ballot: Did anyone think the Spurs had a snowball’s chance in a South Texas summer of finishing first or second in the West? Popovich has them there while starting a rookie and a second-round pick who played 28 games in his first two seasons. He gets the nod over Vogel, whose Pacers have overachieved, and Thibodeau, who kept the Bulls winning when Derrick Rose was injured.

Rookie of the year
1. Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers
2. Isaiah Thomas, Kings
3. Klay Thompson, Warriors
Behind the ballot: The easiest pick this season, but only because of Ricky Rubio’s injury. Irving has been tops among rookies in scoring (18.8 points per game) and assists (5.7). Enough said. Rubio’s knee injury cost him a shot at the honor and the Timberwolves a chance to sneak into the playoffs.

Defensive player? of the year
1. Serge Ibaka, Thunder
2. Shawn Marion, Mavericks
3. LeBron James, Heat
Behind the ballot: It’s not just that Ibaka ran away with the blocked-shots title (3.61 per game), but he is such a dominant presence in the paint that he changes the offensive approach most teams take when they play Oklahoma City. That gave him a small edge over Marion, who can, and has, guarded four different positions for the reigning champions.

Sixth man award
1. James Harden, Thunder
2. Lou Williams, 76ers
3. Gary Neal, Spurs
Behind the ballot: Harden is much like Jason Terry with the Mavericks: a starter willing to play off the bench because it makes his team better. Neal gets a third-place vote because he learned to be a reliable backup point guard after T.J. Ford’s injury misfortune and remains a top 3-point threat in the clutch.

Most improved player
1. Danny Green, Spurs
2. Greg Monroe, Pistons
3. Marcin Gortat, Suns
Behind the ballot: Too often votes go to players whose circumstances afford opportunity to improve stats. Green’s chance to raise his productivity in every category derived from the fact he worked hard enough on his game to first make the Spurs’ roster, then start for an elite team. Note: Jeremy Lin’s injury that cut his season to 35 games disqualified him.